8/12/06
After such a miserable year on the water, the last few weeks have provided plenty of opportunity to be on the water. Even though the water temperatures are rising there have been glimpses of brilliance on the reef fishing scene. The quality catches are occurring in 30 plus metres of water with thumping red emperor and large mouth nannygai heading the list of other species such as coral trout, cobia, trevally species and sweetlip varieties. Also at various stages as the coral trout prepare to spawn there have been solid catches up in the shallows.
The beaches have finally come alive with a lot of bait and jelly prawns hatches occurring along the foreshore. This has attracted the attention of tarpon, queenfish, trevally and blue salmon. Because the food source is so tiny, fly fishermen have been able to replicate the bait the best and consequently have registered more catches.
In the rivers and creeks there has been a good run of mangrove jack with many snags producing two or three quality fish. Mixed in amongst the snare have been bream, smaller fingermark and estuary cod. The river and estuary mouths are also on fire on the incoming tides with schools of grunter working the floor and queenfish scouting the surface. That first hour or two of the incoming tide has been prime time.